Trump Says He Won’t ‘Play Nice’ Without Iran Deal as Hormuz Tensions Rise

Bloomingbit Newsroom

Summary

President Donald Trump said he is stepping up pressure through the Strait of Hormuz, gunfire at an Iranian cargo ship, and a maritime blockade.
The report said the biggest issues in a second round of US-Iran talks are whether Iran can keep its nuclear program and the removal of nuclear materials, with a wide gap between the two sides.
The report said Trump’s seizure of and gunfire at an Iranian vessel could provoke Iran’s military, raising the possibility that talks could collapse and that war could resume.

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President Donald Trump is ratcheting up pressure on Iran ahead of the end of a ceasefire, saying US forces fired on an Iranian cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz. Talks scheduled for April 20 remain uncertain because Tehran says it will not negotiate unless Washington lifts its maritime blockade.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on April 19 that the US had stopped an Iranian cargo vessel trying to break the maritime blockade in the Gulf of Oman near the Strait of Hormuz and kept it under US control. He also said the ship’s engine room had been hit, suggesting the US Navy fired on and seized the vessel.

If no agreement is reached this time, Trump said, “I will no longer play the nice guy.” He called the US offer “a very fair and reasonable proposal” and said he hoped Iran would accept it. “Otherwise, the United States will destroy all of Iran’s power plants and bridges,” he said. “They will come down instantly, easily.”

The US and Iran had appeared to be moving toward easing tensions after a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon took effect on April 17 and Iran declared it would reopen the Strait of Hormuz. But Trump kept the maritime blockade on Iran in place, and Tehran called that a violation of the ceasefire agreement before closing Hormuz again.

Attention is now focused on a second round of US-Iran talks reportedly set to take place in Islamabad. The main sticking points are whether Iran can keep its nuclear program and whether nuclear materials would be taken out of the country. The US is seeking a full Iranian nuclear rollback, while Iran is demanding an end to the maritime blockade as a condition for resuming negotiations. The gap between the two sides remains wide.

Some observers say Trump’s seizure of and gunfire at an Iranian vessel could further inflame Iran’s military and derail any resumption of talks. Axios reported that several Iranian officials said Trump’s true intent may be to restart the war.

Park Su-rim, Hankyung.com reporter paksr365@hankyung.com

ETH